Telescoping box



y 13, 1952 c. w. DENNIS 2,596,218

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\A/. Dennis Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TELESCOPING BOX Charles W. Dennis, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application March 7, 1946, Serial No. 652,541

This invention relates to containers of the powder or pill box type and to methods of making the same.

Containers of the type just mentioned must be inexpensive and durable, while at the same time being attractive in appearance. The cost of present day containers of this type is generally out of proportion with respect to the value of commodities dispensed in them and is often greater than that value. Thus, the effort to make a saving is generally directed toward the packaging. The requirements of durability of construction, simplicity of operation, and attractiveness of appearance place serious limitations upon the possibilities for economizing.

Probably the most common of the prior constructions is that in which the body members of the container, such as the side wall and end, are held together in a manner referred to in the trade as stripping. This calls for the use of additional pieces of paper, or the like, which were secured to the body members by some suitable adhesive. The securing strip is employed to overlie and be secured to the outer surface of the normally cylindrical body portion with one of its edges extending up over the periphery of the disc-like end portion to secure the body portion thereto. The other edge of this strip turned over the free edge of the body portion and terminates by being secured against the inside of the same. Another disc-like piece of paper is normally secured to the outer face of the disc-like end to overlie the terminating edge of the strip just mentioned.

This prior art product allows a number of seams to remain in view, and does not hold the side wall to the end as uniformly and effectively as might be desired and often shows wrinkles in the stripping. The method of assembling it is somewhat cumbersome and does not produce entirely uniform results. When it is kept in mind that the complete container of this common prior art example is made up of two telescoping elements the cylindrical body of each of which is normally a seamed strip, it can readily be appreciated that quite a number of parts are employed, quite a number of operations are performed, and yet quite a number of seams are present for so simple a container.

The container of my invention and the method of forming the same eliminate the unnnecessary features of this most common of the prior art constructions and improve on all of the prior art constructions in this field. In th preferred form of my invention the top and bottom ele- 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-45) ments of the container are normally each made differently. The top is made in its complete finished form out of only two pieces. The bot- ,tomconstruction calls for three pieces, but in doing so materially simplifies the method of assembly. The resultant container is rugged, goes together and comes apart smoothly, and has a minimum of seams. Advertising indicia can be imprinted directly upon its ends.

There are instances in which it might be desired to make both parts of the container in the same manner as the bottom. That, of course, can be done if desired. In either type of construction, however, economies of material and method are effected beyond anything found in the prior art.

It is accordingly a principal object of my invention to provide containers of the powder or pillbox type of simplified and improved construction.

Another important object of my invention is to simplify the manufacture of containers of the powder box type while maintaining the pleasing appearance and durability of the same.

A more specific object of my invention is to make such containers out of less parts and with less seams than have heretofore been thought necessary.

A further object of the invention is to provide containers of the type referred to, which will take imprinting of indicia directly thereon, without the addition of an element to carry the same.

Still further objects of both the article and process aspects of my invention will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out more in detail hereinafter, as the description of the invention proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section of the bottom part of a container made in accordance with the preferred form of my invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded view, showing the elements of the Figure 1 construction before assembly.

Figure 3 is a perspective view with part broken away and in section of the top part of a container of the preferred form of my invention.

Figure 4 is a front elevation partly in section of an assembly of the Figure 3 top with the Figure 1 bottom.

Figure 5 is a view of the blank employed in making the side wall of the top member, with that blank laid out in the flat.

Figure 6 is a view of the Figure blank folded ready to be formed into a cylinder.

Figure 7 shows the folded blank turned into cylindrical form, but before its ends are secured together.

ing a modified form of container in which top and bottom are both the same as the bottom of Figure 4.

Though in most instances I refer to the container of my invention as a powder box it is, of course, to be understood that such reference is not made in a limiting sense, for the boxmay be employed for any use to which it is suited. The use as a powder container is one of the more common ones, but such boxes are also commonly used for containing pills, candy, and other common commodities.

It is normally contemplated'that the bottom portion of the box should be more rigid than the top. This makes the box more serviceable and enables substantial economies to be effected in the making of the top portion. How this rigidity is accomplished and how the bottom is formed is shown in the assembled view of Figure 1 and the exploded view of Figure 2.

The bottom portionhas an end member generally shown at l, which is disc-shaped, and a side wall generally shown at 2, which is cylindrical and of an outside diameter slightly less than that of the end i. The end I has'a. center .part 3 and a peripheral portion, which is curved upwardly at i and inwardly at 5 to terminate in an inwardly facing free edge 6. This end member 3 is made out of suitable lightweight metal, which would normally be tin plate or black plate, though any metal capable of taking the curl at 4 could readily be used.

The side wall 2 is made out of suitable pape or cardboard, which is finished on its outer surface. This side wall is formed from a strip of material, which is doubled upon itself and accordingly has an outer portion 1 and an inner portion 8. These are made from a strip which is bent about its center line to form the smoothly rounded end 9 and to leave the unfinished end edges 10 and Ii in a single plane. The outer and inner portions land 8 have their inner faces glued together throughout their extent. The longitudinal ends of the strip are secured together by a seam, which is a vertical butt joint H] at the ends of the outer portion 1, but is a diagonal butt joint H where the ends of the inner portion 8 come together. .This diagonal ll provides for a tab I2 on one end of r the portion 8 to overlie a similararea on the surface 14 in the same plane. as the end edges l0 and H. The upper surface l5 of the disc i3 is preferably finished in the same manner as the exposed surfaces of the side wall 2. V

r The manner of assembly of th bottom portion of the box in accordance with my invention is illustrated in the exploded view in Figure 2. First, the side wall 2 is formed into a complete cylinder, as just described. Next, the disc 13 is inserted thereinto and pressed down until its bottom is aligned with the bottom edges Ill and H of the portion 1 and 8. The sub-assembly thus formed is then brought against the 7 face of the flat metallic blank from which the inner face of the opposite end of the portion 1.

Thus, by gluing the tab 12 in such overlying position, the ends of the member 2 are secured together and the cylindrical formation of the member is maintained. a

The final element in the construction which I use as the bottom of my box is a disc, generally shown at [3, which is made of suitable paper or cardboard. This disc is of the proper diameter to be snugly received withinrth'e side member 2, as shown in Figure 1. Its principal .function is to support that side member against the inward action of the edge 6, so it is located at the bottom of the side wall 2 with its end bottom I is to be made, as shown in full lines in Figure 2. 7

By employing suitable die mechanism, the side wall member 2 is properly located on the disc I whereupon the peripheral edge of that disc is bent upward and inward as illustratedby the dot-dash showing to form the rounded edge 4 and interned lip 5. The extent of this upward and inward turning is such as to cause the inner edge 6 to tightly grip the side wall 2 and bite into its outside surface sufficiently to assure that the joint is tight and permanent.

Any tendency to collapse the side wall 2 is, however, resisted by the disc [3, so that no such collapse takes place. This then is all the securing that is necessary for an effective union of the bottom lwith the side wall 2. This construction, though simply and economically effected, is not only a most rigid one, but presents a bottom which is not easily punctured, nor destroyed by uses such as in the bathroom, where it might be put down on a wet surface.

The bottom portion of my box being possessed of unusually rigid characteristics, it is possible to make the top portion much lighter and more economical than heretofore. This top portion consists merely of two parts, a side wall, generally shown at It, and a top generally shown at I]. Both of these are made of relatively thin paper or cardboard finished on both faces, and

the construction of the same is best appreciated from considering the manner in which the side wall is made and the side and top are assembled. Commencing with a fiat blank, as shown'in Figure 5, it is seen that the same is longitudinally scored below its center as seen at I8 to divide it into an upper rectangular portion l9 and a lower parallelogram 20 with inclined ends. These portions are folded against each other about the line I8, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, are glued together; and are brought around with the rectangular portion I9 being on the outside and having its longitudinal ends coming together in vertical abutting relationship as seen at 2| in Figures 3 and 8.

The securing of the longitudinal ends together is accomplished in the same manner as is done in the Figure 1 construction; that is, by

' abutting the extending tab 22 against its mated vertical height than the portion 20 forming the inner side wall, a ledge 24 is provided which lies inside of the side wall.

To complete the top portion of the container, it

is merely necessary to insert a disc 25 on to the ledge 24. This disc is of the same diameter as the inside of the outer member l9, so fills the ledge 24. The disc is held on that ledge merely by curling the upwardly protruding portion of the member l9 inwardly and downwardly, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, to form the curled over bead 26 and the downwardly extending free edge 21, which engages that portion of the periphery of the disc 25 which lies upon the ledge 24. No glue is necessary to maintain the bead 26 in position, yet a tight clamping of the disc on its seat is achieved and a light Weight top to the container is provided, all of whose exposed surfaces are finished.

The assembly of the top and bottom is shown in Figure 4. In this showing, attention is directed to the rounded ends [Sand 9. These ends not only enhance the esthetic efifect of the construction, but, due to their radii, provide a lead which expedites the centering of the top and the bottom as the two parts of the container are brought together. With this proper starting, the cocking of one part with respect to the other, and any tendency of the top to bind due to such cocking, are eliminated. By concealing all unfinished edges of my box, I efiect a substantial economy in eliminating the stripping to cover up such edges which would otherwise be necessary. Furthermore, I provide both top and bottom members which Will take imprint directly and thus avoid the application of separate paper discs for this purpose.

Should an extremely rigid construction of box be desired, such can be done by forming both the top and the bottom in the Figure 1 manner, as shown in Figure 10. Here the bottom is identical with that shown in Figure 1, so carries the same reference characters. The top is of sufficiently greater diameter all around that its side wall 28 is properly received over the side wall 2 and its end 29 forms a closing portion. It is not believed that any further detailed description of this member is necessary.

As changes in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

' Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure Letters Patent for is:

A container of the character described comprising a bottom member and a top member, said bottom member including a cylindrical side wall, an inner disc within and engaged by said side wall and substantially aligned with the bottom end face of said side wall, and an outer disc overlying said bottom end face of said side wall, said outer disc extending out beyond said cylindrical side wall and turned inward to terminate in tight engagement with the outer surface of said side wall, said turned portion of said outer disc forming an} outwardly extending border, said top member including a cylindrical side wall formed of a strip of paper having inner and outer portions folded fiat upon each other about a fold at the lower end thereof, said inner and outer portions of said top abutting one another along diverging lines of joinder, the outer of said folded portions extending up above the inner portion, said inner portion terminating in an upwardly facing end seat, and a closure disc seated on said end seat of said inner portion and said extending end of said outer portion being turned inwardly and downwardly to terminate in a downwardly facing end seat, said downwardly facing end seat engaging said closure disc and securing the same in place on said upwardly facing end seat, said top member being mounted on said bottom member with the cylindrical side wall thereof telescopically overlying the cylindrical side wall of said bottom member with the bottom end of the side Wall of said top member seating on said outwardly extending border of the outer disc of said bottom portion and the upper end of the cylindrical side wall of said bottom member substantially engaging the inner surface of said closure disc of said top member.

CHARLES W. DENNIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,281,356 Harbeck Oct. 15-, 1918 1,557,144 Dolan Oct. 13, 1925 1,965,175 Dolan July 3, 1934 2,082,614 Broderick June 1, 1937 2,180,882 Royal Nov. 21, 1939 2,200,295 Peters May 14, 1940 2,248,274 Kusterer July 8, 1941 2,288,892 Dukehart, Jr July 7, 1942 

